Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Top Ten...

...things that have happened since you last heard from me. In no particular order.

1. We got our calendar for our FET. Or rather, I got my period on Christmas Eve, called the clinic, and started birth control on Christmas Day for our FET. THEN we got our calendar. It looks a little something like this:
And by a little something I mean exactly. Click to enlarge.
Basically, we're transferring on February 6th. Which puts our 1st beta on Valentine's Day. I think I shall protest. (In fact, this calendar is looking like it's going to change. More on that tomorrow.)

2. Post-IVF periods are quite possibly the worst periods OF YOUR LIFE. Let's just say the PIO did it's job, because it was NOT PRETTY. So much cramping. Didn't help that we drove for 6 hours the day it started, but seriously? Worst period cramps of my life. They were about the same level as my cramping from the retrieval, about 1 or 2 days post-op. It's a miracle though, that I didn't set myself on fire with my grandma's borrowed heating pad. I wish I got a picture of this thing- I think it was seriously from the 60s. We threw it away when it started to smell like burning.

3. I set goals for getting healthy (again) this year. Mainly, shape the eff up before our FET. I'm dropping the sugar like a rock again this month. Yay. Dr Boy and I signed up for another 5K, which we'll run the day before the FET. Take THAT, bedrest-bloat. We bought headlamps and warmer running clothes so we have no "wah wah i'm too cold it's too dark" excuses with running.

Our sleepy passenger- complete with doggie seatbelt. Safety first!
4. I spent 10 days in Los Angeles with the fam. Loved every minute. It was definitely the time away I needed to finish healing after our December failure. I still feel the grief from the BFN, but I am in a MUCH better headspace to move forward with our next step. Though I can't stop crying whenever I hear "Shake it Out" by Florence + the Machine. Try listening without crying. I dare you.

Carey and I... isn't she lovely? (i'm left, she's right)
5. I met Carey, the ModVegan, for dinner. She's pretty incredible. Despite having a tragic ending to her triplet pregnancy with three handsome boys, she is an amazing source of strength and positivity out there on the twitters. I can't imagine going through what she has and still being such a cheerleader for us in the trenches- she's truly a beautiful person and I'm so glad to have met her... and even told her my name :)

6. I had a delayed reaction to the PIO shots. My last one was on December 19th. On Christmas Eve, I started to get this really bad itching on my hips, where if you wore a string bikini bottom they'd tie, you know? I took a peek and there were these lovely red welts on both sides. WEIRD. There's nothing that I was recently exposed to that could have caused it. It's not exactly where the shots went though, more like if you went about 3-5 inches from the injection sites outward. Today they look like deep bruises. I talked to the IVF nurses, and they're going to switch me to a PIO that's synthetic for the FET, just in case it was a reaction to the sunflower oil. For now? I just want to stop scratching my ass.

7. My pregnant cousin was absent from Christmas this year. Big sigh of relief. Though I think I would have been ok- there were Christmas margaritas.

8. I still have not lost any of the IVF weight. At. All. Damn you Christmas, and your delicious temptations.

NYE sparkles
9. I went to a New Year's Eve party. At a house. With a stripper pole.

Say what?

No seriously, in the upstairs bonus room.

It was supposed to be a classy blind wine tasting party!

No, I did not dance. See #8.

My lovely hair, post-treatment. Still looks like that, even after washing!
10. I got my hair chemically straightened! I did the Yuko treatment, a more permanent Japanese cousin to the Brazilian blowout. This is my fourth time over about 5 years doing it, and I LOVE IT. The only sucky part is the whole not washing your hair for three days while it settles part. I was fairly grease-tastic by day 3. Today though? Amazeballs. Two minutes of flouncy blow drying in the am to get the drying started, then out the door. Life. Changing. I know that sounds dramatic, but when you fail an IVF cycle? Shiz like this suddenly becomes life changing. I HIGHLY recommend it. Love.


So that's me in a nutshell for the last almost two weeks. I'm slowly sorting through all the posts I missed while I was all post-IVF depressed and woe-is-me, and then on vacation.

Here's to a new year, with new hope, and all that good stuff :)
Gratuitous sleepy puppy photo. Because she's cute.

6 comments:

  1. So excited for you!!! Also, when we were house hunting we looked at a house with a stripper pole... I couldn't get out of there fast enough!!!

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  2. I'm ready to suffer, I'm ready to hope.

    It got me, there were tears. You were right. I'm doing my second and final FET next week (before we need to go through the whole shebang again) and I'm feeling emotional. But that line got me. I might make it my 'thing' because I truly am ready to do both in order to come out on the other side of this whole ICSI nightmare with a little bubba all of my own.

    Thanks for putting me onto actually investigating the lyrics xx

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  3. I can't believe someone else mentioned "Shake It Out" by Florence + the Machine! I was in such an awful place after my surgery when I was coming to grips about being infertile and having to start IVF and that song, I swear... that song played a huge part in getting me back to a place where I was a functioning human being. I've listened to it on EVERY run I have taken since then and the only thing that keeps me from crying is the fact that I'm already panting from exertion. I think the lyrics are supposed to be about a breakup (?) but they totally speak to me about IF and I'm so glad to hear that someone else feels the same way. Hang in there!

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  4. Welcome back! Sounds like going AWOL was good for you. So excited everything is on the calendar!

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  5. Oh friend I am SO happy you're back! I've missed you! And I'm even more happy you've got come clear headspace and are ready for this new cycle. And I think changing the beta date is certainly a good idea. And go you and Dr. Boy for doing a 5k before transfer!

    Happy to have you back in the internetland. : )

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  6. Beautiful puppy and beautiful plan! Must feel great to have one again!

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You know you want to tell me how ridiculous I am...